The Individual Differences and Competencies of Hybrid Workers: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Despite the significant increase in employees working away from the traditional office (i.e., hybrid work), our understanding of the individual differences that support hybrid workers’ success remains fragmented, limiting theoretical development and practical applications. To remedy this gap in the literature, we conducted a systematic review of the individual differences and capabilities (i.e., traits, abilities, skills) related to hybrid work outcomes (e.g., job performance, job satisfaction). We identified 53 studies published in 49 published and unpublished sources. Then, to gain an understanding of common clusters of individual differences and capabilities, we inductively grouped the extracted study variables to identify three trait and ability clusters (e.g., Big Five Personality, other personality constructs, abilities) and four higher-order competency clusters (e.g., self-management, interpersonal-focused, leadership-specific, technology-based). To aid in practical applications and future research directions, we connected these trait and competency clusters to two computer-mediated work theories (e.g., media richness theory, social presence theory) and two organizational behavior theories (e.g., trait activation theory, role theory).